The present invention relates, in general, to a plastics processing machine, and more particularly to an injection molding machine.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
WO 02/32649 A1 describes an injection molding apparatus, in particular for plastic materials, with at least two controllers which are connected via data output lines to a data displays, wherein the data output lines include controllable switches and wherein a control unit is provided for the switches, so that the switches in the closed state provide a connection to a main data line which leads to a common data display device. Disadvantageously, a separate control must be provided for the switches and only one data output line can be connected to the data main line at any given time.
EP 0 916 466 B1 describes an injection molding machine with an integrated operating unit, wherein an SPS of the injection molding machine and the operating unit each have a Local Area Network (LAN) interface and are connected for internal data transmission via a network line to a local network (LAN).
DE 103 10 886 B3 describes an approach for displaying information having the same content on screens associated with different computers by using the Remote Frame Buffer (RFB) protocol. The RFB protocol is described, for example, in “The RFB Protocol”, Tristan Richardson, Real VCN Ltd, Version 3.8, May 17, 2004, and represents an open standard.
Conventional devices have the drawback that control of the individual elements of complex plastics processing machines, such as injection molding machines, in a coordinated fashion from a single operating unit is difficult, in particular if the machines include several subsystems, for example peripheral devices. Moreover, changes in the application software of the peripheral devices, which are frequently implemented by a device supplier, are difficult to integrate.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide a plastics processing machine, in particular an injection molding machine, and a method for operating a plastics processing machine, wherein both the machine controller and the control units of subsystems can be readily monitored and controlled, the subsystems can be easily integrated, and the machine can be universally employed.